Cuihua's parents, Old Man Chen and Mother Chen, were already waiting at the door. They estimated the time to arrive, and just as they reached the village entrance, they saw Yan Xiaoqiang driving an oxcart towards them, with a soldier sitting next to him. Needless to say, it must be Xiaoqiang's older brother, Daqiang.
They welcomed Daqiang to their home with open arms. In this day and age, having a soldier in the family was the most honorable thing. The two of them quickly pulled the oxcart and hurried home. Grandma Yan had already raised her voice to greet them: "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, I've come to bother you again."
Mother Chen quickened her pace and ran towards Grandma Yan, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "My dear in-law, I've been waiting for you to come today! Look at me, my hair has turned white from waiting!"
Haha, everyone laughed happily. Old Chen said gratefully, "Mother-in-law, this year we are so grateful to you for having Qiangzi deliver grain and meat. Otherwise, my whole family would not have been able to survive."
Grandma Yan quickly waved her hand: "We're all family, we can't speak like that."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Some things didn't need to be said; everyone knew what was going on. Cuihua asked, "Mother, did my eldest sister and younger sister come this year?" Grandma Yan immediately became alert and listened carefully for the answer.
"They're here, they're all here. Your eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law didn't go back to their parents' home this year, they're both at home," Chen's mother replied.
Cuihua found it strange. Why? Before Cuihua could ask, her mother spoke up: "This year we've all been relying on the grain you sent to get by. Your eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law saw that they really had nothing to take back home, so they simply decided not to go back."
"Oh, I see. How are things at your homes, eldest sister and younger sister?" Cuihua asked again.
"Sigh, your eldest sister's family is doing alright. This time she brought over five catties of wheat flour. As for your younger sister, don't even mention her. Last month she came to borrow grain, and I gave her ten catties. Today she came to borrow grain again, but your sister-in-law and second sister-in-law refused and are unhappy about it. You should go back and ignore them."
Grandma Yan unconsciously tightened her grip on Yan Xiaonan's arm. She had to keep a close eye on her today and make sure this crazy woman didn't hurt her again.
Southwest is a man of action; he immediately picked up Nan Nan, looking like he'd fight anyone who dared to bully his sister.
Old Chen felt a little embarrassed. Alas, what a misfortune for the family! Fortunately, Cuihua married well.
Chen's mother also looked at Yan Xiaonan and couldn't help but exclaim, "My dear in-law, how did you raise this little lucky girl? She has such delicate skin and is even prettier than the girls in the city. Come, let Grandma see if the injury on her head has healed."
Yan Xiaonan sweetly called out, "Happy New Year, Grandma! Happy New Year, Grandpa! Nannan's injury is healed, I'm alright now." After saying that, she even lifted her hair to show them, making the two of them sigh with joy, "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright."
The oxcart entered the yard, and Cuihua quickly helped Grandma Yan off the cart. Cuihua's younger brother, Chen Xiaolong, came over, picked up Yan Xiaonan, and kissed her on the cheek. "Nannan is so beautiful."
Southwest stood beside her grandmother, her eyes warily fixed on the door of the main room, afraid that she wouldn't have time to react to any sudden movement.
Yan Xiaoqiang unloaded the oxcart and led the oxen to the side to feed them water and grass. They had been walking for most of the day and must be hungry and thirsty, so they needed to replenish their energy.
Zhongnan had been walking for most of the day, but the wolf's stamina was top-notch. After drinking a few sips of water, it returned to Nannan's side. Nannan warned it on the way not to bite people, but that it could scare them.
Southwest laughed, "Zhongnan, do you know how to scare people?" Zhongnan grinned at Southwest, looking fierce.
Grandma Yan and the others watched from the side, trying their best not to laugh out loud. How could these children be so adorable?
Cuihua's eldest sister and brother-in-law, as well as her eldest brother and sister-in-law, and second brother and sister-in-law, all came out to greet her. When they saw the oxcart full of goods, they laughed even more heartily.
Several women quickly welcomed Grandma Yan into the main room. Southwest picked up Nannan and followed behind, urging North and Central Nan to catch up quickly.
Xuemei helped Cuihua carry down several bags of clothes, while the eldest and second eldest brothers and Xiaolong hurried to the oxcart to help Dongnan and Daqiang move their things.
Goodness, a huge bag of grain and so much meat! The two brothers were glad they hadn't gone to their in-laws' house today, otherwise all these good things would have been snatched away by their younger sister.
The eldest sister's husband said to his eldest sister, "Look how much stuff Qiangzi and the others brought back. When you go back later, tell your mother to let us bring some meat back so my parents can taste some meat too."
The older sister nodded and whispered to her husband, "You'd better cover for me and make sure my troublesome younger sister doesn't hear us, or we won't get any minced meat."
The brother-in-law nodded, his eyes filled with disgust as he looked at Chen Xiaomei. He hoped this woman wouldn't cause trouble today, otherwise no one would have peace. But how could Chen Xiaomei possibly do as he wished?
When she saw that Cuihua, whom she had always bullied since childhood, had brought back another cartload of things, she was consumed by jealousy and immediately went outside.
When her sisters-in-law greeted Cuihua's mother-in-law as she entered the house, she couldn't help but want to say something sarcastic, but her husband covered her mouth. When she met her husband's fierce eyes, she couldn't help but shudder.
Remembering the terrible beating she received from her husband last year, she became quite well-behaved. Yan Xiaonan noticed their little antics and secretly became more vigilant, pulling Southwest aside to whisper in his ear.
Southwest glanced at Chen Xiaomei, meeting her sinister gaze, but glared back defiantly. Zhongnan, standing beside her, also began to bare his teeth at Chen Xiaomei, letting out low growls.
This sudden turn of events drew everyone's attention to Chen Xiaomei, giving them a clear view of her face, distorted with rage.
The second sister-in-law was the first to speak up: "Hey little sister, today Cuihua is taking her family back to her parents' home. You can help her, but who are you trying to impress with that stern face?"
Not to be outdone, Chen Xiaomei retorted, "This is the same guy who broke my nose with a teapot last year. So what if I don't like him?"
“That’s because you bullied a little kid who can’t even walk properly first, otherwise why would he hit you with a teapot?” the sister-in-law chimed in.
Speaking of the doll, Chen Xiaomei looked at Yan Xiaonan, and her eyes reddened again at that fair and delicate face. She blurted out:
"This little girl is so beautiful, she doesn't look like her father or her mother. Did you take someone else's child and raise her as your own?"
At this point, Cuihua couldn't hold back any longer. She grabbed a broom from the wall and started hitting Chen Xiaomei in the face.
"I'll beat you to death, you lazy, foul-mouthed woman! You can't even give birth to a good-looking child yourself. Look at other people's kids, they're all adopted. I was wondering why your son doesn't look like your brother-in-law, turns out he was adopted too."
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